2008 Central Michigan Chippewas Preview

The Motor City Bowl-record crowd of 60,624 that packed Ford Field last December for Purdue’s thrilling 51–48 win over Central Michigan was no doubt happy to see the Chippewa offense stand so tall against a Big Ten opponent. CMU ran 79 plays and piled up 435 yards in the near-miss. Not bad. Of course, CMU surrendered 587 yards and allowed the Boilers to run 81 plays. Not good. So, finding a point of emphasis during spring practice was not a problem for Butch Jones and his staff. If Central wants to three-peat as MAC champion for the first time in school history, it had better tighten up on the defensive side of the ball.

Two Minute Drill

A Quick Look at the Chippewas

There is no reason to believe the Chippewas won’t be serious contenders for the MAC title, even if the school has never won three in a row during its history. OK, maybe that defense is shaky enough to lose some shootouts, but the CMU attack is so dangerous that it should be able to overcome just about any trouble on the other side of the ball. Dan LeFevour is in total command of the offense and can almost do it by himself. Fortunately for his health, he has a productive stable of running backs and plenty of wideout weapons, most notably Antonio Brown and Bryan Anderson. Central should average 40 points per game this year. As for the defense, well, that all depends on whether the new outside linebackers have the ability to keep things contained, and if the secondary can get it together after a truly awful ’07. Nobody’s expecting the Chippewas to become stingy, but it would be nice if their defense said, “No!” once in a while. Butch Jones received an extension during the offseason, and it was totally warranted. He has continued Brian Kelly’s success and has the team well positioned for the future. As for the present, things look pretty good there, too.

Quarterbacks

There have been two quarterbacks in FBS history to pass for more than 3,000 yards and run for more than 1,000 in the same season. One is Dan LeFevour, who last year threw for 3,652 yards and 27 scores and ran for 1,122 and 19 TDs. In other words, the Chippewas are in pretty good shape under center. Oh, and he’s just a junior. Backing him up is senior Brian Brunner, who is solid but attempted only 12 passes last year.

Running backs

One might be tempted to dismiss senior Justin Hoskins’ ’07 output (664 yards, 10 TDs) as pedestrian, but one look at his 5.8 yards-per- carry average tells you that he’s a pretty good backfield weapon. He’s not big, but he can move and is a good passing-game weapon (22 catches). Ontario Sneed, another senior, brings a tougher inside game and is a fine complement to Hoskins. Incoming freshman Jahleel Addae could be a factor right away.

Receivers

LeFevour would be dangerous on his own, but add in a pair of receivers like junior Bryan Anderson (90 catches, 10 TDs) and sophomore Antonio Brown (102, 6), and you can see why CMU torments opponents. Expect to see more of sophomores Kito Poblah and Taylor Bradley, and look out for junior Jean Pitts, who had a good spring in the slot.

Offensive linemen

With four starters returning to this unit, Central can count on good protection for LeFevour and plenty of room cleared for the ground attack. The only question comes at right guard, where Joe McMahon, who comes to Mt. Pleasant via Joliet (Ill.) Junior College and Iowa State, will have two years of eligibility remaining. He’s a perfect fit for the spread, thanks to his ability to move. Left tackle Andrew Hartline has been voted second-team All-MAC twice and leads the way up front.

Defensive linemen

The Chippewas will rush the passer well, thanks to the return of ends Frank Zombo (7.5 sacks) and Larry Knight (5.0). Expect Sam Williams and Josh Allison to see work on the outside, too. Inside, Casey Droscha, who had 11 tackles for a loss, is a force, but Tredale Kennedy may need to step into a starting role after seeing limited action in ’07. His main weapon is quickness.

Linebackers

If there is one area that will waylay the Chippewas’ defensive improvement this year, it is on the second line of defense, where two starters must be replaced. Sophomore Nick Bellore piled up 102 tackles last year and could be an All-MAC choice this year. He’s sound in the middle. Outside, there are questions. Calvin Hissong moves in from safety and brings speed, while Tim Brazzel (19 tackles in ’07) and David Lawrence (8) emerged during the spring.

Defensive backs

The secondary was ravaged by injury last year and featured nine different starters. The stalwart is corner Josh Gordy, who picked off four passes but missed four games due to injury. He’ll be paired with Tommy Mama. Vince Agnew is likely the nickel man. Don’t be surprised if freshman LaVarus Williams gets a shot after an impressive prep career. Chaz West was a full-time corner last year, but he’ll step into the strong safety role, and Eric Fraser, who made starts at both safety spots and corner, will be the free safety. Whoever plays in the secondary had better step up, because Central allowed rivals to complete 65.4 percent of their passes last year.

Specialists

Andrew Aguila was a solid placement man last year, making 9-of-14 field goal tries, including a 51-yarder. Now, he must be more consistent. Expect sophomore Brett Hartmann, who has a strong leg but no experience, to step in at punter, where Tony Mikulec was average last year. The return game is on the speedy legs of Brown, who averaged 10.9 yards per punt return last year and took a kickoff to the house as well.

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